Zanzibar Slavers.

Faraj Al-Dosari and his foul slaver followers.

Maarouf Alzeshi and Faraj Al-Dosari (with pet monkey Bashir)

The "Butcher of Murogo", Falakee Al-Fayyoumi and men.

Figures are Foundry.

British Askari.

A unit of British Askari ready to join the Hon. Cecil Cathcart Marchbanks on his new expedition.

Sergeant Baako presents his troops.

Figures are Foundry.

The European Explorers.

The European adventurers and explorers finally set foot on African soil...

Captain Thomas Henry Abel and his guide Kimani.

Mbasogo, Sir Archibald Dreaton and renowned hunter Merle Caspar.

Major Sir Cornelius Hedney and assistants.

Dutch guides Klaus Voorheim and Piotr Witzenfeld. 

 Figures are Foundry.

Next - British Askari.

Tiger Miniatures and more Germans

Finished painting up some Askari with a field gun bought 2 or 3 years ago at the woolwich show. The figures are Tiger Miniatures which are better in the flesh than their website gives them credit. The range for colonial purposes is mainly limited to WW1 era German troopers but I am tempted to buy some more when and if I ever decide to expand into WW1 in Africa. Of particular interest is the Askari mule train as you can never have too much baggage.

The askari mountain gun and 3 crew that I have painted up very easily. I tried to match a colour that Mark has on a section of Askari he bought. My final choice was GW Desert Yellow washed with Devlin mud and highlighted up with Desert Yellow. A quick painjob but very effective. Just need to finish the gun.

Some good historic pictures of geman askari here.

As Mark has just posted his German, here are mine

The Red Skull converted from a Belgian and a GW plastic skeleton head.

His Venusian servant carrying the imperial colours (an old Rafm Cast, I would like more of these if still available)

Copplestone Officers

German Askari bring home slaves for the Skull

German Askari forward to war.

The Germans.

Baron Torsten Holzmann leads his expeditionary force into the darkest realms of Africa...

Kapitan Herwig Becker, Baron Holzmann, Dr. Otto Rieflin and  Herr Eckehard Friedrich.

Marine leader Leutnant Rudi Wolff.

Wolff and his Marines assemble.

Herr Friedrich leads the Marines with Leutnant Wolff.

The Germans assess their recent ivory acquisitions.

A good days work!

Figures are Copplestone.

Next - More Europeans.

The Natives.

A quick update of the progress on the natives.

Here we have Chief Mwenye and his family.

Chief Mwenye and his family in front of "The Tribute of Oluchi".

Next we have his eldest sons Tawanda and Timane assembling their war parties

Tawanda.

Timane.

Figures are Foundry.

Next up - Europeans.

Darkest Africa - Planning the Expedition 2.

Following on from the post by ZM and his 'stocktake' I thought I would add where I am up to now...

I have now finished all the bases on my Darkest Africa figures! I also re-attached several erroneous native shields and spears and touched up a little bit on some with minor chips but got too dark to pick it all up so will try to do more over the week. I still have about 30 unpainted European types but I think we have plenty enough to be getting on with already! I also have a handful of bearers and African villagers to work on.

So, my latest DA stock take is -


Painted:

Askari x53
Europeans x20
Native bearers x4
African villagers x7
African warriors x39 (well, 15 of which are in progress)
Zanzibar Slavers x10
(British Redcoats x56 - Zulu War British that could be used at a pinch?)

Unpainted / in progress:

Askari x11 (based and undercoated)
Zulu (as tribesmen) x36
Europeans x30 (based ready for undercoat)
British Redcoats x20
Lions x3 (have based ready for undercoat)

African Villagers x7

German Marines x10 (getting there!)

German Officers x4 (almost done)

Almost finished two African cattle. Also painted up a nice 'tower of skulls' and picked up various boxes and crates etc for the explorers. 3 Renedra tents to do plus whatever generic terrain I pick up.